Top-seeded Verdasco reaches quarterfinals

Top-seeded Fernando Verdasco saved a match point before beating Daniel Koellerer 6-7 (7-1) 6-2 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals at the Swedish Open on Thursday.

Fourth-seeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria, No.5 Nicolas Almagro of Spain, unseeded Swede Andreas Vinciguerra and Argentina's Juan Monaco also reached the last eight in the 62nd edition of the clay-court tournament.

Leading 5-4, Koellerer reached match point on Verdasco's serve. But the unseeded Austrian hit a long return next, then made two unforced errors and Verdasco held to 5-5.

Verdasco broke to lead 6-5 and then held to love, ending the three-hour match with an ace.

Koellerer was treated during two changeovers late in the third set because of calf cramps. After being broken in the 11th game and falling on the court, a trainer and an official helped him to his chair.

"I was cramping all over my legs, but at 5-5 it was impossible to play any more," Koellerer said.

"I'm really disappointed because I had a lot of chances in the third set. It was a very good match. At the end I think he deserved to win."

Koellerer also had four break points when leading 4-3 in the third set.

"He played really good. My last weekend in the Davis Cup was so hard. I played 11 hours in three days, two five-set matches and the other one four sets with a lot of pressure. It's hard for me to be 100 per cent all the time. My legs felt a little bit tired."

Melzer defeated Daniel-Gimeno Traver of Spain 6-2 6-2 to line up a quarterfinal with Vinciguerra, who ousted qualifier Guillermo Canas of Argentina 6-7 (7-5) 6-3 6-4.

Almagro rallied past Potito Starace of Italy 2-6 6-1 6-1 and will play Robin Soderling of Sweden in the last eight.

Defending champion Tommy Robredo of Spain will play Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia in the last quarterfinal.